Many major corridor projects funded through the city of Austin's 2016 mobility bond are completed or moving toward construction, with tens of millions of dollars from the voter-approved transportation package still remaining as of early 2026.

The details: City voters approved the $720 million bond for roadway, sidewalk and trail upgrades, as well as safety improvements under the Vision Zero program, in November 2016. The majority of the package, $482 million, was dedicated to stretches of Austin's busiest roadways under the corridor program.

Corridor projects worth roughly $360 million have now been completed or approved for development as of this winter, and more than $40 million in construction work is anticipated this year, headlined by intensive work along South Lamar Boulevard.

Hays County defendants deemed incompetent to stand trial could soon receive treatment in the county jail under a program approved on Jan. 6 by the Commissioners Court.

The overview: After several months of collaboration between the Commissioners Court, the Criminal District Attorney’s office, the Sheriff’s office and Hill Country Mental Health, the Jail-Based Competency Restoration Program will provide mental health services on-site to qualified individuals in the Hays County jail who are awaiting trial.

“This is actually a major issue because of the mental health crisis that we’ve got in our country [and] county, that we’ve been trying to ... deal with for the last couple of years,” Division Chief, Assistant Criminal District Attorney Landon Campbell said at the meeting.

A closer look: Texas law states that defendants must be considered competent to stand trial. 

If an individual is deemed incompetent to stand trial and ineligible for outpatient care, they are placed on a waitlist to be transferred to the state hospital system. The JBCR program will bring services directly to the county jail.

Coca-Cola’s Sips & Sounds Music Festival is returning to Austin on March 13-14 with a range of featured artists including Christina Aguilera and Calvin Harris. The two-day event will showcase performances from 16 different artists, as stated in a news release.

The details: Community members can find two-day and one-day general admission tickets in addition to two-day and one-day general admission plus tickets. Event-goers can look forward to immersive activations throughout the festival and local food vendors.

Performing artists include Flipturn, GROUPLOVE, The Two Lips, Foster The People, Jade LeMac, Aidan Bissett, Mallrat, Skateland, Caroline Hale, The Runarounds, Between Friends, Stephen Sanchez, Ravyn Lenae and Major Lazer Soundsystem. 

Auditorium Shores, 900 W. Riverside Drive, Austin